Grip devices for lifting vessels or the like



May 17, 1966 G 1, FREDHOLM 3,251,623

GRIP DEVICES FOR LIFTING VESSELS OR THE LIKE Filed March 27, 1964 3Sheets-Sheet 1 May 17, 1966 G. 1. FREDHOLM s sheets-sheet 2 Filed March27, 1964 May 17, 1966 G. l. FREDHOLM GRIP DEVICES FOR LIFTING VESSELS ORTHE LIKE Filed March 27, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States PatentClaims. (Cl. 294-97 The present invention relates to grip devices forlifting vessels or the like, and in particular to grip devices adaptedfor being inserted into washing centrifuges by means of a telpherarrangement;

In principle, the invention has for its object to provide a grip device,which is adapted for cooperating with two annular rings or bodies whichare arranged one on top of the other and have concentrical rings orapertures of the same size, in order to either engage and lift the upperring only or lift the two rings simultaneously.

In the accompanying drawing a selected embodiment of the invention isillustrated by means of example.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through the grip device;

FIG. 2 is a view of the device seen from above;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the device along line 33 in FIG. 2,i.e. perpendicular to the section shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a lateral view of an operating or switch disc;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of said disc cooperating with a switch member;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are plan views of the switch disc in two differentpositions.

FIG. 1 illustrates two annular bodies 1 and 2 loosely placed one on topof the other each with a central aperture 3 of the same size. Theapertures 3 are mutually coaxial. The said annular bodies 1 and 2 may beparts of vessels or jackets to be used in washing centrifuges.

Into the aperture 3 is introduced a grip device 4. ,A vertical lift rod5 having a circular cross section is arranged centrally in the device.The rod terminates at its upper end in a loop 6 adapted for beingconnected to a telpher arrangement. The lower end of the'rod 5 isprovided with a flange ring 7 and is inserted into a bore in a centralbody 8. A sleeve or collar 9'secured in the bore embraces the lower endof the rod allowing it to run freely therein but forming a stop for theflange ring 7.

The central body 8 is provided with a spider having pairs of opposedarms 10, 32, each with a longitudinal slot. Thus two arms 10 which arein alignment are provided with slots 14 while two arms 32 are providedwith.

slots 33, a first pair of grip arms 15 are pivotally mounted in slots 14of arms 10. The grip arms, which at their lower end are provided withgrip members in the shape of hooks 16, are pivotally arranged on pivots17 in the slots 14. The upper portion of the arm 15 is connected bymeans of a link 20 with a link head 21 which can be axially displacedalong the rod 5. The link 20 is connected with the head 21 and the griparm by means of pins 22 and 23, respectively. By means of thisarrangement the grip :arms 15 can be brought into engagement PatentedMay 17, 1966 The grip arms 30 are each provided at their lower end witha hook 34, and at their upper end the arms are linkably connected with alink head 36 by means of a link 35. The link head 36 is axiallydisplaceable along the rod 5. The .head 36 is arranged below' the head21 and is controlled by the head 21 by means of two arms 40 extendingdownwards. The grip arms 30 are thus arranged in a plane perpendicularto the plane through the grip arms 15 and can be brought with theirhooks 34 to engage the upper annular body 1, which has a flange 41 inthe same way as the body 2. By displacing the head 36 upwards the hooks34 will assume their engaging position, so that the annular body 1 canbe lifted and removed from the body 2.

It is of great importance that the pairs of grip arms 15 and 30 can eachbe operated separately and in simple manner, while the operatingposition of the grip device be clearly indicated by an operation orcontrol indicating device.

In order to activate either of the two pairs of grip arms a control disc45 (FIGS. 4 to 7) is provided which as shownin FIG. 1, rests on thecentral body 8.- The disc 45 is substantially circular and is providedwith two peripheral cams 46. The disc 45 has a central boring 47,through which the rod 5 slides freely, so that the flange ring 7 restsagainst the lower face of the disc. The disc may be rotated about thesaid rod into various angular positions. Adjacent to the boring 47 twoshoulders 48 project upwards from the disc, which shoulders in theposition of the disc shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 cooperate with the arms 40extending downwards from the head 21 when the rod 5 is raised. When thedisc 45 takes the position shown in FIG. 6, the cams 46 engage hookmembers 49, which are secured to the central body 8. In consequence, thecentral body will be entrained by the disc 45, when the rod 5 is raised,whereby the link head 21 will then not be moved in relation to thebearing pivots 17 for the grip arms 15. These arms will stay in aninactive position as shown in FIG. 1.

Thus when the rod 5 and thecentral body 8 are interconnected and lockedby means of the control disc 45 and the hook members 49, the grip membermay be raised by means of the rod 5 with the lift arms 15 and 30 intheir inactive positions (FIGS. 1 and 3). The grip member can then beraised freely out of or inserted into the central apertures 3 of therings 1 and 2 by means of the telpher.

When the ring 2 is to be lifted together with the ring 1, the gripmember is lowered into the apertures 3, so that it rests with its spiderarms 10, 32 on the ring 1. The control disc is rotated through an angleof approximately 45 clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 6 to theposition shown in FIG. 5 and out of engagement with the hook members 49of the central body 8. The shoulders 48 will then be situated directlybeneath the arm 40 of the link head 21. When raising the rod 5, thecontrol disc 45 is lifted together with the link head 21, the hooks ofthe lift arms 15 engaging the ring 2. The central body 8 has such aweight that it remains resting on the ring 1 when the lift arms 15 aremoved to their grip position and is entrained by the lift arms onlyafter future lifting movements. Thus the telpher can now lift the tworings 1 and 2 for transportation.

In case only the ring 1 is-to be lifted the shorter lift arms 30 areemployed, and the control disc 45 is rotated counterclockwise from theposition shown in FIG. 6 through an angle of 45 to the positionillustrated in FIG. 7. The shoulders 48 of the disc 45 will thencooperate with the link head 36, which will be pushed upwards when therod 5 is raised, so that the hooks 34 of the lift arms 30 will engagethe ring 1.

In order to adjust the grip device to the particular desired position,the control disc 45 is arranged to be revolved about the rod by means ofa control member, which according to the example is shown in the shapeof an indicating disc 50, as will be seen by FIG. 5. Both the indicatingdisc 50 and the disc 45 are provided with engaging teeth 51 and 52,respectively, along part of their periphery and the teeth of two discsare in meshing relation. The indicating disc may rotate about an axlejournal 53 securely attached to an arm 54 projecting from the centralbody 8, which arm is provided with a hand 55 secured to the extreme endof the same. The three positions assumed by the disc 45 as shown inFIGS. 5 to 7, are indicated by arrow marks 56, 57 and 58, respectively,on the indicating disc 50.

The indicating disc may be provided with a setting arm or wheel, whichfacilitates the setting. Alternately a setting arm may be directconnected to the control disc 45 and position marks fixed on the samefor indicating the active positions of the grip members.

What I claim is:

1. A grip device adapted for lifting one or both of a pair of ringshaving aligned central apertures each with a step, said grip devicecomprising a central body, two pairs of grip arms arranged around saidbody in mutually perpendicular planes, said pairs of arms havingdifferent lengths for cooperating with a respective one of said ringswhen the central body is inserted into the apertures in said rings, saidgrip arms having active positions in which they are engaged with therings for lifting the same, and inactive positions in which they arefree of the rings, lifting means supported in said central body andadapted for having a lifting force applied thereto, and rotatablecontrol disc means on said central body in engagement with the liftingmeans and movable between selected angular positions for eithercooperating with one of said pairs of grip arms to selectively urge thesame to active position when the lifting means is lifted or cooperatingwith the central body to cause lifting of the same with neither of thepairs of grip arms in active position.

2. A grip device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lifting meanscomprises a shaft slidably supported in said central body and includingmeans in engagement with the rotatable control disc means for liftingthe same, said grip arms each including a link head slidably supportedon the shaft, means on said central body in engagement with therotatable disc means in only one of said angular positions for liftingthe central body therewith together with the grip arms with the latterin inactive positions, said rotatable disc means comprising shoulderswhich engage said link heads of said pairs of grip arms selectively independence upon the active angular position of the disc means which isselected.

3. A grip device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means on saidcentral body in engagement with the rotatable disc means with the latterin said one angular position comprises hook members on the central body,the rotatable disc means comprising a disc including cam portions whichare engaged with the hook members in said one angular position.

4. A grip device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said rotatable disc meanscomprises an indicating disc in rotatable engagement with the rotatabledisc, said discs including means indicating the positions of saidrotatable controls means.

5. A grip device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said grip arms includeopposed pairs of slotted arms constituting a spider and arms With gripmembers pivotally coupled to the spider and to respective link heads.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,144,389 6/1915Skelton 294-116 3,152,830 10/1964 Pounder 294 GERALD M. FORLENZA,Primary Examiner.

G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner.

1. A GRIP DEVICE ADAPTED FOR LIFTING ONE OR BOTH OF A PAIR OF RINGSHAVING ALIGNED CENTRAL APERTURES EACH WITH A STEP, SAID GRIP DEVICECOMPRISING A CENTRAL BODY, TWO PAIR OF GRIP ARMS ARRANGED AROUND SAIDBODY IN MANUALLY PERPENDICULAR PLANES, SAID PAIRS OF ARMS HAVINGDIFFERENT LENGTHS FOR COOPERATING WITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID RINGSWHEN THE CENTRAL BODY IS INSERTED INTO THE APERTURES IN SAID RINGS, SAIDGRIP ARMS HAVING ACTIVE POSITIONS IN WHICH THEY ARE ENGAGED WITH THERINGS FOR LIFTING THE SAME, AND INACTIVE POSITIONS IN WHICH THEY AREFREE OF THE RINGS,